Everyday Aesthetics at the Heart of Aesthetics Today: EVANet at ICA 2026

The 23rd International Congress of Aesthetics (ICA 2026), Aesthetics Today, was held in Prešov, Slovakia, from 20 to 24 July 2026. It is the largest gathering of aestheticians in the world, and this edition made one thing clear: everyday aesthetics and its related fields have become one of the main focuses of the discipline.

Of the 160 presentations, 16 dealt specifically with everyday aesthetics, 14 with environmental aesthetics, 9 with care aesthetics, 4 with somaesthetics and 4 with urban and atmospheric aesthetics. Almost a third of the congress was devoted to themes close to the heart of our network. The keynote by EVANet Honorary Partner Yuriko Saito, The Aesthetics of Care: Our Relationship with the Artifactual World, highlighted this trend.

For EVANet, Prešov was also a chance to see the network at work. The congress was organized by Adrián Kvokačka (University of Prešov), President of the International Association for Aesthetics and a member of the EVANet Steering Committee. Network members Enea Bianchi, Elisabetta Di Stefano, Rosa Fernández Gómez, Lisa Giombini, Max Ryynänen and Mateusz Salwa sat on the Scientific Committee, together with Honorary Partner Arnold Berleant.

The network was also strongly represented among the speakers. Papers were presented by Astolfi, Cascales, Di Stefano, Diaconu, Favara-Kurkowski, Formis, Furia, Godoy Domínguez, Košičanová, Lee, Man, Ratiu, Romagnoli, Ryynänen, Salwa, Somhegyi and Szyszkowska. Many of them also chaired sessions. Their contributions covered care, the urban environment, ecology, art and politics.

This strong presence shows the relationships the network has built over time. Conversations started within EVANet are now part of an international debate, and the attention the field receives keeps growing. We thank the organizers and all participants for making ICA 2026 such an inspiring meeting point, and we look forward to the next occasions to continue the conversation together.